1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to material handling systems and more specifically, to material handling systems having pneumatic, electrical as well as load bearing capabilities.
2. Description of the Related Art
Industrial environments including, for example, light and heavy manufacturing, distribution and even sales of various industrial equipment and components typically involve pneumatically and/or electrically powered equipment as well as material handling applications. Among other things, industrial environments of this type generally include a source of pneumatic power, also known as "shop air" typically employed to operate pneumatic equipment, a source of electrical power used for operating electrical equipment and material handling systems such as cranes and rails having trolleys for supporting equipment and moving material about the shop or plant.
In the related art, pneumatic power is often delivered to the shop via steel conduits called "black pipe." The black pipe is typically elevated above the shop floor and crisscrosses the plant. A plurality of branch lines are fixed to the black pipe and provide 1/2" ID air to pneumatically powered tools and other equipment throughout the shop. However, the pneumatic power delivery systems employed in the related art suffer from various disadvantages. For example, the air flowing through the black pipe generally includes moisture which often condenses in the pipe resulting in rust and corrosion. Due in part to this corrosion, the steel black pipe and the many branch lines extending therefrom sometimes leak, often resulting in thousands of dollars of lost power in certain industrial environments. Where many pneumatically operated tools or other equipment are employed, a given shop may become cluttered with a spaghetti-like array of branch lines and connections to branch lines hanging overhead all providing shop air to the tools. This is due, in part, because the pneumatic tools in general are not easily moved from work station to work station without disconnecting the tool from one branch line and reconnecting it to another. This situation contributes to a multiplicity of branch lines and pneumatic tools required to adequately perform given tasks. Where overhead material handling systems are employed, the plant environment becomes even more cluttered.
Electrical power is delivered throughout the shop in a number of ways. Electrical outlets are strategically placed throughout the plant. Power cords and extension cords are employed to connect various electrically operated tools and equipment to these outlets. But, where a number of electrically operated tools are employed, power cords and extension cords litter aisle ways and work areas creating safety hazards and a less than ergonomic work environment.
Attempts have been made at simplifying these conditions in the related art. Heretofore, it has been proposed to provide a pneumatic conduit including a branch line capable of being detachably coupled to the conduit and movable relative to the conduit to provide greater flexibility and ease of mobility relative to supplying pressure to pneumatically actuated equipment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,774 issued Oct. 27, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,775 issued Oct. 27, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,822 issued Mar. 8, 1983; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,827 issued Jan. 10, 1984 all to Kagi et al. each disclose examples of such devices.
While, in principal, the devices disclosed in the above-identified patents provide operational improvements over the prior art, some disadvantages remain. For example, the devices disclosed in the Kagi et al. patents do not assist in supplying electrical power in any given application. Further, the movable branch lines are limited in their pneumatic capacity. Additionally, while tools and other light components may be carried on the pneumatic conduit, the devices disclosed by Kagi et al. are generally not adapted for use in load bearing material handling applications. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a load bearing material handling system including integrated pneumatic and electrical power source capabilities.